It is not uncommon for small businesses to start operations by stacking server hardware and network equipment on desktops or shelves. The cost of doing this is indeed relatively low, but there will be hidden dangers in the future. With the development of the company's business, these devices may become a mess. The exposure of these devices will increase the risk of physical tampering, and it will also plant some time bombs, such as coffee spillage caused by carelessness, environmental dust and the danger of employees accidentally tripping over exposed wires. ?
However, the use of rack-mounted equipment can avoid such accidents. Why do you say that? Because these racks are professionally designed, they can easily accommodate this type of hardware. Although they look very expensive compared with similar products that are not rack-mounted, in the long run, they are cost-effective, and you can easily manage your equipment with them, and other benefits will far outweigh their costs.
2. Understand the basic characteristics of the server rack.
Before buying or installing a server rack, you need to learn and understand the basic characteristics of the server rack. Server racks are usually measured in racks, which are usually expressed as "u" or "RU". The height of the rack unit is equivalent to 1.75 inch (44.5 mm), and the unit of measurement for compatible equipment is a multiple of "u". General servers range from 1U to 4U, network switches from 1U to 2U, and some blade servers range from 5U to 10U or even more. ?
Before determining the server rack, you also need to consider the width and height (depth) of the server rack. Generally acceptable width is 19 inch and depth is 600- 1 0,000 mm. However, many of these racks usually have adjustable rear brackets, and even though most rack-mounted servers usually include adjustable mounting kits, they can be used once they are deep enough to accommodate the servers.
Four-post rack is one of the most popular commercial server racks in the market today. It is designed to accommodate 19 inch wide devices and servers.
The height of an ordinary rack is about 42U, half of which is 24U, but there are several other types of racks, ranging from 5U to 20U. These are not measurements of the external dimensions of these racks, because this characteristic is highly dependent on the design of the racks and will change. Some racks are equipped with casters to facilitate movement.
Open racks and small wall-mounted cabinets are excellent choices for installing IT servers in places with limited space. However, you need to realize that if you decide to use an open rack, you must meet special requirements before installing the server, including fixing the rack to the floor. Wall-mounted cabinets are not suitable for any load consisting of several servers or heavier than network switches.
3. Isolate the server to reduce noise
If you don't have a separate room to put and store the equipment, you will have to consider the noise attached to the internal server equipment. You need a partitioned room, even if it is a small area, because it is worthwhile in the long run. ?
After the partition is established, it can eliminate or weaken the hidden dangers that will affect the overall work efficiency of employees. Another advantage is that it can prevent any unauthorized person from tampering with your equipment, which helps to protect the equipment from damage and theft.
In a small business, there is no choice but to put the rack in the corner of the room or inside the IT department. It is strongly recommended to use a hanger with sound insulation function. Because the ventilation holes can not achieve complete sound insulation, these racks are usually measured by their noise reduction characteristics. The combination of the noise they produce and the overall noise reduction ability of the rack itself usually determines their working effect.
4. If you want to dissipate heat, you need a suitable air conditioning unit.
The heat generated by IT equipment and servers is usually high, which may shorten the service life of equipment. They can also cause interruptions and crashes, which may be difficult to explain, which is why it is important to install cooling equipment when building internal server rooms. ?
However, if you only need a few network switches, a five-rack network attached storage (NAS) system or a server, you may not need to worry about the cooling system unless you need a larger NAS, multiple servers and a medium-sized UPS, in which case the heat will increase rapidly.
The heat capacity of the server rack is also directly affected by the external temperature. This is why it is strongly recommended that you install an air conditioner in the server room.
As long as the server is on and generates heat, these air conditioners must always be on. It is suggested to use different circuit breakers to install independent devices, so that any circuit breaker can be replaced regularly when it needs maintenance.
Don't think about opening the window and adding two fans to dissipate heat.
5. Learn to handle cables correctly
Only correct cable management can ensure proper ventilation. This is why it is a very bad idea to try to force 42 1U servers into a full-height rack, because this will lead to serious wiring restrictions or constraints. Many old servers usually need a space of 1U to 2U between cabinets to ensure correct airflow. At present, most modern rack servers do not need these spaces. ?
Setting up a server room full of racks requires more than just using some screws to help fix these devices in place. You need to know how to manage all the devices arranged in these racks and their corresponding Ethernet cables. In addition to the wiring in the cabinet, it is also necessary to properly manage or terminate the cables of Ethernet LAN points of IP cameras, desktop computers and all other network devices.
The best way to handle all this is to terminate the Ethernet cable with RJ45 distribution frame. Ordinary patch panels installed in the 1U space usually provide up to 24 ports, and usually require some form of manual input, such as stripping cables, fixing them into the patch panel, and using cable testing tools to verify their connectivity. According to your budget, you can let network professionals or experts handle all these problems for you in one day.
In addition to the distribution frame, you also need to use wiring harnesses, because they will come in handy when you try to fix stray cables. You can get reusable standard cable ties, which are very cheap if you buy them in bulk.
6. Learn to mark and keep it simple
When setting up a server, it is very important to learn to mark and record the processes you use. In this way, it is convenient for any new employee or supplier to know the overall system situation of the server efficiently and systematically when they need to know the server room. It can also prevent any possible catastrophic errors, including restarting or unplugging the system without any form of warning. ?
One of the easiest and best ways to label infrastructure correctly is to use a label printer. This printer can be bought at any hardware store. You must label the network and server devices with unique names or IP addresses that correctly describe them. You should also do the same for keyboards, mouse and video switches, routers, NAS devices, redundant hardware and data backup devices.
These precautions should be printed out in appropriate detail to facilitate the explanation of important procedures related to your internal hardware. These printouts should be attached to refrigerator magnets or server cabinets. For best results, they should include operating instructions related to data backup, networking, and turning on or off these devices in case of power failure.
In addition to the above points, there are some places you need to know and pay attention to:
A. space requirements?
B: What are the floor-standing and cabinet-type models?
C. Equipment size?
D. heating and cooling system?
E. electrical settings?
F. fire prevention?
G. emergency power backup?
H. security and alarm?
Most importantly, all the above contents cost money, so plan your budget well, and don't let setting up the server room consume your entire IT budget.